The Devil You Know - A Student Short Film

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Tells the story of Maggie, a young woman who after leaving a restrictive religious community in the country, seeks liberation in metropolitan Melbourne, but finds the urban utopia isn’t what she hoped.

This story draws a lot from my own experience in a devoutly religious community in SE country Vic, which had to be edited for the story to be more believable, as the culture is extreme by modern standards and not many are privy to it. ​

The failings of extreme conservatism are probably obvious to most of us, but I would like to use this film to challenge the notion that we have made that much progress in the way women are viewed and treated in modern Australia. Every woman, in both conservative and allegedly progressive environments, has experienced attitudes that reduce female value and personhood down to either a sexual or reproductive utility.​

It’s important to tell this story now, at a point where Australia seems to be in a crisis of domestic violence, even post Me-Too, along with the fact young people are swinging back toward conservatism and ‘trad’ values. The disappointment and frustration deserves a voice. ​

The film is a coming-of-age drama with a touch of magical realism to portray Maggie’s vision of the cow. It will be shot using muted colours, naturalistic lighting, and dynamic camera movement for an intimate, authentic feeling but contemporary feeling. Slightly different colour palates (warm vs cool) will differentiate Maggie’s emotional states.​

CREW

DIRECTOR | Frankie Codd

Born in England and raised in the twilight zone between the end of the metro train line and country Victoria, Frankie had no idea she wanted to work in film until making a documentary in the final semester of a Commerce/Arts degree. After several more years floating around doing everything from tour guiding in Laos to pretending to enjoy corporate, she quit her full time job and returned to formal education to study film last year at Swinburne. This is the third film she's directed at Swinburne and the first drama. Frankie is interested in comedy, drama and documentary, and in stories about identity, self-sabotage, and belonging. Frankie's so excited to have such a great crew on board for this project and hope to see it screen at festivals next year.

PRODUCER | Max Tucker

Max is a overly ambitious producer who tends to bite off more then he can chew. He's particularly interested in dramas and love to help out in any crews and roles he can. And is unfortunately a Letterboxd addict.

DOP & EDITOR | Aden Godfrey

Aden has been attached at the hip with cameras from a young age. He has previously worked with Frankie on "Vinegar Mother", along with other projects like "That's Why Pt1&2" music video and some freelance work. Aden is eager to bring a unique style to this project, working hard to bring this beautiful story to life.

SOUND | Sam Winspear-Schillings

Sam is a sound freak, having studied and produced a lot of music for a lot of his life and always being involved in different projects. He's also a passionate actor and has a broad interest in film. Sam's excited to be able to really take the soundscape in this project to the next level.

1ST AD | Summer Barmby

Summer is the one with the funny accent, you'll find Summer lurking in Frankie's and Max's shadows, making sure everyone is on schedule or just pspsps to every cat she comes across

CAST

MAGGIE | Georgia Condon

AGNES | Grace Gemmell

PATRICK | Gabriel Cali

FR COLT | Pete Knight

Featuring... A Real Cow!

We're shooting from October 4th-7th and we need your help! We have an amazing crew volunteering including hair and makeup, lighting, runners and more. We need funding to make good use of their talent.